The forest air was thick with silence. No birds. No wind. Just Zane.
Until they appeared.
A group of cloaked figures—five in total—stepped out from between the trees. Each one radiated malice and wore a mask shaped like a crying skull.
"Let me guess," Zane said, drawing a blade. "You're here to rob me, kill me, or make some speech about how I'm 'unworthy' of the abyss stuff."
One of the figures raised a hand. "You wield something that should not belong to mortals. The Eye calls out to us."
Zane sighed. "Yeah? Well, tell the Eye to shut up next time."
Without another word, they lunged.
Zane didn't move. Instead, his left hand pulsed with dark light as he activated the Eye of the Abyss.
> [Soul Piercing Sight – Activated]
The closest attacker froze mid-leap. His body twitched, then collapsed as his mind was flooded with his own death—played on an endless loop. His scream was raw and primal as he tore off his mask, eyes wide in horror at something only he could see.
Zane ducked, then kicked the second one in the chest and activated Phantom Chain, teleporting to his clone behind the third attacker and driving his blade into the man's side.
"Two down. Try harder," he taunted.
A masked woman sent a blast of wind toward him. Zane raised his hand and let the Abyssal Glove flash—then redirected the same wind spell back at her, amplified and twisted with Void energy. She went flying through three trees and didn't get back up.
"That's three."
Another attacker tried to sneak up from the shadows.
Zane grinned.
Ring of Umbrabind: Activated.
The man's own shadow lunged upward and wrapped around his throat like a leash, yanking him off his feet. Zane stepped forward, time slowing around him.
Ring of Auric Dominion: Active – Time Slow (10m radius).
Zane walked casually past the last enemy, poked him in the forehead, then reappeared in front just as time snapped back.
The enemy exploded in a burst of pain—unaware of how or when Zane moved.
All five attackers were down, some unconscious, some broken.
Zane tilted his head. "The Eye's not so bad."
Nyx growled in his head. "You're going to go insane if you keep abusing that thing."
Zane shrugged. "Then I'll be crazy and undefeated."
The Eye on his hand pulsed again—this time not as a warning.
But as a promise.